The present invention discloses synergistic preservative formulations comprising bactericidal and fungicidal compounds, a method of reducing the bacterial and fungal load of a preparation as well as the use of the synergistic preservative formulations according to the invention for reducing the bacterial and fungal load of preparations.
A wide variety of personal, household and industrial products, formulations and preparations need to be protected from contamination with bacteria and fungi. This is usually achieved by adding formaldehyde releasers and/or parabens because of the good bactericidal and fungicidal properties of these compounds.
However, these compounds of the state of the art suffer from some severe drawbacks, namely that their preservation capacity is so high that its effect continues even after, e.g. in case of a lotion, it is applied onto the skin, absorbed, distributed through the blood and deposited in the major organs of the body. Since formaldehyde and parabens impair enzyme function, there is the possibility of interference with the normal human cell and organ function.